5 comments:

This is an "upset" only if your memory goes back 2 weeks. The state was supposed to be Cruz', he had the ground game and Trump didn't - people were even speculating if there would even be a turnout for Trump.

In the end, Cruz only finishes in the MOE. And Trump has yet to spend a dime.

Next, the Whigs are coalescing around Rubio, but he also probably took some of the Anybody But vote.

Finally, Carson and Rand came out of nowhere to take a lot of the Conservative vote, 15 points worth, so the mailer hurt.

And, as somebody at Insta noted among all the triumphalism, now the scrutiny begins for Cruz. Last week, you could barely find any articles on him. Not any more and, if what little I saw is any indication, the Lefties have their long knives out.

Trump did fine. I thought he helped himself considerably by being gracious.

As for Whigs coalescing about Rubio, that is true, but when you have Tim Scott and Rush Limbaugh joining them that is not necessarily good for Cruz or Trump. Limbaugh is not endorsing anyone, but he did say Trump lost Iowa by acting like a Liberal Democrat in his attacks of Cruz (there is some truth in that) and that Rubio is a real conservative.

Trump should try to be more gracious to his opponents in the GOP and more attacking of Hillary and the Democrats. It will make him look more of a leader and will help him. Ted Cruz also needs to learn how to edit a speech (think Gettysburg Address). Short, simple, strong.

So much for the gracious thing. Trump blasted Iowa voters for not appreciating that he's financing his campaign himself. Lost in the Iowa hype yesterday was Trump's disastrous insult at soldiers who have been involved in IED attacks. It will cost him the military vote, and Republicans need that voting bloc. Trump is a slow motion train wreck. Everyone knows it's coming, including Trump, so let's hurry up and let it run off the rails, so the rest of us can move on.